


Paper Boats

by Cookies_and_Chaos



Category: Bully (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Implied Parental Neglect/Abuse, Male Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:33:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28155408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cookies_and_Chaos/pseuds/Cookies_and_Chaos
Summary: Reminiscing, paper boats, and the shameless antagonising of Jimmy's competitive spirit. Written for the 12 Days of Christmas Challenge 2020, Day 5, "Five Flowing Waters".
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8
Collections: 12 Days of Christmas Challenge 2020





	Paper Boats

As the stick sailed off, bobbing atop the easy current, Jimmy asked, "You ever float paper boats down the river?"

Pete laughed, thinking that Jimmy was digging for information to tease him about, then immediately regretted it when Jimmy stiffened, just a little, just enough that only Pete would have noticed.

"Never mind," Jimmy said and he flung the other stick in his hand into the river with such force that it submerged for a few seconds before bobbing back up to the top.

"I didn't." Pete hurried to smooth over the mistake he has made. "We didn't...don't really go out much as a family and I wouldn't go by myself."

As though his father would ever take them anywhere out of the city. As though he would ever do anything that Pete or his mum might like to do. Not that Pete would have wanted to float paper boats, or at least he doesn't know if he would have, but it would have been nice to have the option. No-one ever looked at Benjamin Kowalski and saw beyond the librarian and into the glimmers of darkness and fear which he wielded at home.

"My dad and I made them a few times. We'd try and see how far we could get them before they sunk..." Jimmy had never spoken about his father before. Pete wasn't even sure when he had left. Why he had left...

"But, you're right, it's bollocks. No wonder you laughed, come on." Jimmy was already halfway back up the hill by the time Pete realised what was happening and hurried after him.

"How do you make them?" Pete asked, his breathing laboured when he finally caught up with Jimmy.

"What does it matter?" Jimmy asked.

"Well, maybe we could make some. If you wanted, I mean," Pete said.

"Leave it, it was just a stupid memory. Don't need you coddling me because you think I'm gonna cry about it." Jimmy shrugged a few times, he never did work out how obvious a behaviour that was when he was trying to pretend that he didn't care.

"Right, bet you're just scared I'll build a better boat," Pete said.

Jimmy narrowed his eyes at him. "I know what you're doing."

"Bet I can even put passengers on my boat and they'll last longer than yours," Pete continued, growing in confidence as some of the tension left Jimmy's face.

"It's not working."

Pete didn't answer and they walked in silence for a minute. Maybe two.

"You don't even know how to make a paper boat, what hope do you have of beating me?" Jimmy asked.

"Won't know until we try, will we?" Pete asked.

Later than afternoon, Pete watched the last of his boats sink slowly to the bottom of the river while Jimmy gave him a clap on the shoulder and a grin that said 'better luck next time'.

"This was actually kind of fun," Jimmy said as his one surviving boat sailed off around the river bend.

"Yeah." Pete was already thinking about how to improve his design for next time. "It was."


End file.
